Opera to open up desktop browsers to crypto wallets with Ethereum support

Wed, 08 Aug 2018, 10:27 am UTC

​Opera, a web browser for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems, is going to launch its desktop web browser with a built-in crypto wallet with Ethereum support.

Last month, the company rolled out a new version of the Opera browser for Android that comes with a built-in crypto wallet. The decision to launch the web browser with this functionality was driven by an “overwhelmingly positive response from the crypto community”, Opera said.

“By adding a crypto wallet directly into the browser, we removed the need for complex extensions or separate apps,” said Charles Hamel, Product Lead of Opera Crypto. “Opening up the PC browser to crypto marks Opera’s second step towards making cryptocurrencies and Web 3.0 mainstream.”

With this functionality, users would be required to just connect their Opera PC browser with the crypto wallet-enabled Opera mobile browser by simply scanning a QR code on their Opera PC browser. This will grant them access to their mobile wallet with cryptocurrencies and “collectibles”. Moreover, the keys will be stored using the phone’s secure system lock, allowing users to sign transactions with their fingerprints, instead of using long passwords.

This essentially means that users would be able to “browse Web 3.0 and use Dapps on their computers while signing payments securely with their fingerprint on their phones,” Opera explained.

“The new, integrated PC-mobile crypto wallet solution will be added to the Opera mobile and PC browsers soon, eventually enabling the company’s more than 322 million users to start using the wallet in their everyday lives and across their devices,” Opera said.